Fresh Clean install, or Via Cloning/Imaging? to migrate Win 10 to SSD?

First sorry for my poor english.

here's a problem:

My Original OS is come from Win 7 Professional 64 bit (from my Academic/MSDNAA ), and then I successfully upgrade it into Win 10 Pro 64bit (fully activated). Have been use that fully activated OS on my machine for years now without problems.

Now, I want to move my currently 'Fully Activated Win 10 Pro' from HDD into brand New SSD (256gb).

What Do you prefer a Fresh Clean install, or Via Cloning/Imaging? to migrate OS to SSD?

If I choose a clean install/clone/image, Does my activated OS will be gone because moving OS to new SSD?

It is entirely up to you if you clone or clean install. Clone and you don't have to re-install anything. Clean install and you get a chance to get rid of any "junk" that may have accumulated - old install files and temporary files.

I do have two recommendations. First, before you clone, clean up your existing hard drive thoroughly. I like to do option two here, and select every option to clean:
Disk Cleanup - Open and Use in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

Then I like to follow that with the default disk cleanup using CCleaner:
CCleaner - Free Download - Piriform

My second recommendation is that before you wipe the old hard drive (erase it), make sure your computer boots with only the SSD connected. And if you are going to clean install Windows 10 onto the SSD, do that clean install with only the SSD connected. Many people have not cloned or installed properly and are left with the boot files (system partition) left on the HDD instead of creating it on the SSD. Then they wipe the HDD and discover that their computer won't boot.

If you clone, you will want to clone, probably, at least two partitions. The boot files will be in a partition that is marked as either a System Reserved partition, the (System) partition, or EFI system partition. It should be any where from 100mb to 450mb in size. You definitely want to copy that partition over. The second partition is, of course, the partition containing your operating system. That partition should be obvious, but for information, that is the partition that will be marked as the (boot) partition.

Finally, you can see if Windows is using an active recovery partition opening a Command Prompt (Admin) [found by right clicking on the start icon], and in the command prompt window enter:
reagentc /info

The partition(s) that are listed in those results are the active recovery partitions and those should be cloned as well.

Since you have a digital entitlement for Windows 10 for this computer that was created and stored at Microsoft when you upgraded, you won't have any problems with Windows 10 activation just do to the upgrade to an SSD.

Good luck!

I always prefer a clean install, but you should be able to clone without issues, too.

Either way, your activation will remain, as you are only swapping out the hard drive.

@NavyLCDR: Nicely done; however, I have a few additional questions if you would be so kind:

The OP mentioned "imaging." So, restoring a full system image would require the SSD to be equal to or larger than the original HD partition structure; correct?

The OP mentioned "cloning." So, would there be any prepwork on the SSD side to setup the offset partitions or would the cloning software generally take care of that issue? I asked because you mentioned selective cloning.

In your last sentence, you stated the upgrade would not present a problem due to the existing digital entitlement; correct? Now, I was wondering how that might affect one if they attempted a direct clean install to the new SSD? My old school thinking would dictate one would have to install Windows 7 again and then proceed to Win 10. Am I incorrect in that assumption? Thanks again.

aardvark

aardvark said:

@NavyLCDR: Nicely done; however, I have a few additional questions if you would be so kind:

The OP mentioned "imaging." So, restoring a full system image would require the SSD to be equal to or larger than the original HD; correct?

Not if the imaging software being used is decent, like Macrium Reflect Free. Software like Macrium Reflect will allow you to shrink the partitions - especially the operating system partition - to fit on a smaller drive. The same goes for cloning. Decent cloning software (and Macrium Reflect does cloning too) will also allow you to shrink the partitions to fit.

aardvark said:

The OP mentioned "cloning." So, would there be any prepwork on the SSD side to setup the offset partitions or would the cloning software generally take care of that issue?

The cloning software should take care of all of that.

aardvark said:

In your last sentence, you stated the upgrade would not present a problem due to the existing digital entitlement; correct? Now, I was wondering how that might affect one if they attempted a direct clean install to the new SSD? My old school thinking would dictate one would have to install Windows 7 again and then proceed to Win 10. Am I incorrect in that assumption? Thanks again.

aardvark

Read this webpage:
Windows 10

Click on +Using the media creation tool
+Performing a clean installation using a USB or DVD
Then the blue or grey Note box:

Note

If you’ve already successful activated Windows 10 on this PC, including if you upgraded by taking advantage of the free upgrade offer you won't need to enter a Windows 10 product key. You can skip the product key page by selecting the Skip button. Your PC will automatically activate later.

The first option to skip the product key will actually be "I don't have a product key"

OK, thanks for answering my additional questions. Very nicely done again and much appreciated. I wanted to rep you (again) but I have to spread some around a bit before I can do that.

Cheers,

aardvark

The best way to move Windows onto an SSD is by using a cloning tool. This takes everything on the old drive and copies onto the new one.